The present invention relates to laminated wood products and, more particularly, to lathe-turned wood products composed of laminated layers of wood varieties assembled into a matrix from which a multiplicity of dimensionally stable and uniquely decorative wood products may be produced.
Decorative wood working using lamination has been for hundreds of years an art form from which many enduring and unique wooden artifacts have been produced. With the advent of modern technology and adhesives, wood laminates and inlays of great beauty and durability have appeared which have both structural integrity and esthetic appeal.
The present invention teaches that a variety of previously undiscovered laminated wooden artifacts may be produced using traditional wood turning techniques. The invention discloses as a first embodiment, a pool cue which is produced from an assembly of contrasting wooden laminates held together by modern, durable, waterproof adhesives. The invention discloses examples of how wood laminates may be assembled from contrasting layers of wood into a machineable matrix which may be used to form unique wood products.
Prior art pool cues have been manufactured from stable wooden bases which have been decorated thereafter by the application of inlays of contrasting substances such as ivory, mother of pearl etc. Pool cues generally are composed of two pieces, each being fitted with metal hardware allowing them to be connected with an often decorative male/female screw joint.
Decoration of a pool cue has to be done in such a way as to provide a smooth uninterrupted surface which may slide easily over the surface of a players"" hands. The present invention teaches that a pool cue may be manufactured economically while simultaneously displaying rich and complex decorative elements using simple lamination and wood-turning techniques.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
To provide a method for combining disparate and contrasting wood elements to form thereby a laminated matrix from which decorative, dimensionally stable, warp resistant products can be formed by turning, carving or otherwise shaping the material of the matrix.
To produce uniquely decorated pool/billiard cues having an artistic appearance caused by ribbons laced through wood.
To produce machined wood products in any shape or form each having an artistic appearance either uniquely or having a predetermined pattern common to a number of such products. To produce laminated products as described in the present invention, which may be comprised of both wood and non wood elements in order to produce further decorative variety.
The present invention pool cue is created by assembling pieces of wood into a blank which is thereafter turned to produce the cue. The process begins by joining two nominal pieces of woodxe2x80x94which can vary in size from widths of xc2xcxe2x80x3 to 8xe2x80x3, heights of xc2xcxe2x80x3 to 16xe2x80x3 and lengths from 1xe2x80x3 to 20xe2x80x3. High quality polyurethane or an epoxy adhesive are used to join the pieces. Once dry, the materials are cut twice or more from north to south (X axis) using a wave form cut pattern. The resulting wave form surfaces are then covered with thin strips of a dissimilar and contrasting wood which is glued in place and clamped under high pressure within a sandwich formed by the original cut pieces of wood. Once dry, the composite/lamination is now cut lengthwise on the Y axis again using a wave form cut or cuts. Once again, thin pieces of contrasting wood are sandwiched in the sawn areas and glued and clamped until dry.
The assembled matrix can be turned on a lathe to produce structural or decorative products having vivid patterns which appear variously as ovals, crosses, figures of eight or virtually any symmetrical or non symmetrical patterns that can be completely random or exact depending on the nature of the matrix and the method used to shape the finished piece. The process can be used to produce repeating constant patterns by creating each new laminated piece using the same cutting and laminating pattern.
The process as described can be used to produce various products other than pool (billiard) cues, such as, but not limited to; balustrades, furniture components, columns (including structural columns) newel posts, dowels, baseball bats, bed posts and martial arts weapons. The process is not limited to length, width, depth of material or the number and magnitude of wave form cuts used.
The manufacturing process structurally re-engineers the wood components to produce a rigid product which is dimensionally stable, warp resistant and which has an attractive artistic appearance caused by laminate ribbons laced through the wood.